Podcasts about story blender

How can organic writing and leaning into the pivot help your stories stand out? And how can you pitch a story as a discovery writer if you genuinely don't know what's going to happen next. Steven James gives his writing tips after more than 20 years as an author. In the intro, Better Than Free in an Age of AI [Kevin Kelly on Tim Ferriss; Kevin Kelly on The Creative Penn]; Future Vision XPrize; A Different Kind of Bucket List. Today's show is sponsored by Draft2Digital, self-publishing with support, where you can get free formatting, free distribution to multiple stores, and a host of other benefits. Just go to www.draft2digital.com to get started. This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn Steven James is the multi-award-winning and international bestselling author of 21 novels across thrillers, YA, and science fiction, with more than a million copies sold, as well as the author of non-fiction craft books for writers, a writing teacher, and the host of The Story Blender podcast. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and the full transcript is below. Show Notes How to lean into organic writing, and what to focus on instead of plot How characters unfold on the page, and why an attitude beats a background Producing an outline for an agent or publisher when you genuinely don't know what happens next Don't pitch the plot, pitch the pivot The four choices you have in every scene, and why logic plus surprise is the engine of story Faith, moral clarity and big questions You can find Steven at StevenJames.net. Transcript of the interview with Steven James Jo: Steven James is the multi-award-winning and international bestselling author of 21 novels across thrillers, YA, and science fiction, with more than a million copies sold, as well as the author of non-fiction craft books for writers, a writing teacher, and the host of The Story Blender Podcast. So welcome to the show, Steven. Steven: Thanks for having me, Jo. Good to be here. Jo: Great to have you on the show. First up— Tell us a bit more about you and how you got into writing and publishing. Steven: Oh, gosh. Well, the thing is, when I was a kid, I fell in love with stories. My uncle would always, whenever we got together for the holidays—Christmas, New Year's and so on—he would take my sister, my brother and myself into a corner of the room while the other adults had coffee, and we would just sit there, and he would get this look in his eye and he'd say, “I'm going to tell you a story.” We were transported to another world. We were swashbuckling with pirates, or facing down a grizzly bear in Alaska, or flying over the desert on a flying carpet, or whatever. I fell in love with imagination and stories and everything. So I started reading as much as I could, mostly short stories. They had a programme at our library called the paperback book exchange, where you bring a paperback book and you leave it, and you can take any one of the paperback books that they had. You could keep it as long as you wanted. If you wanted it for your life, that's fine, or you could just bring it back as soon as you finished reading it. Anyway, I went crazy over the summers reading short stories, mainly. As I got older, I was like, “I think I want to be a storyteller.” So I actually got my master's degree in storytelling. Then I started to travel and tell stories, but I had three little daughters at home, and I was like, “I don't want to be gone 300 days a year when they are growing up.” So I ended up starting to write stories instead of travel, and then it just kind of shifted in that direction. That was in '97. Oh my goodness, that's long. '97, '98. So then I started to write books, and then eventually in 2007, I think, my first novel came out. Now, mainly, I've been writing novels ever since. Jo: It's so interesting. Was it a job, storytelling? Is that what you did before you became a book writer? Or did you have a different job? Steven: I mostly would go to events, conferences, schools and so on, and do a family-friendly storytelling show. So I would tell personal stories, some folktales reimagined. I would go to different events around the country. Mostly it was that. Then I started to shift. I wrote for magazines for a while—80 different magazines I wrote for over those years, a couple of hundred different articles, stories. I was like, “I'm just going to try to make a living telling stories.” So the shift has gone back and forth between actually telling stories and writing stories, but these days, I don't know. I'm still speaking. I'm still out there teaching. Jo: That's so interesting, because it's obviously a completely different thing to tell a story in person than it is to write a story. So when you decided to shift that way, what did you have to learn and unlearn? Because your thoughts on the page are so different to when you can make eye contact with an audience. Steven: That's a good point. I kind of started by telling stories back when I was in college, so I sort of moved from telling to writing. And you're right, there's so much that's lost, whether it's eye contact or pauses. On a printed page, there's always the same amount of space between every word—a space. But when you tell stories, obviously you pause for effect in different places, different areas, and so it's quite different. So if I have an idea for a story, I usually have to decide, is this going to be written or told? And then I do it in that medium. Then if I want to, let's say, tell a written story, I almost have to relearn it, or retell it very differently. You have gestures, body language. All of those things are obviously lost in text, so they are very different. I think for me it's been good, because when I tell stories, I hear different characters speaking, so that when I write, usually dialogue comes fast to me. I can hear what people are saying. I don't always know where they are. I don't always know the setting. I don't even know the scene necessarily, but I can hear the dialogue. Then it also helps me to step into the characters, like when I'm writing different points of view, so that I think I can do a good job of getting into that character's mind, as if I were that person. I think some of that comes from just telling stories. Jo: You've taught so many writers over the years, and it's interesting you said that you hear characters' dialogue. I see visual film in my mind. I don't hear any voice at all. It's all silent. I struggle with dialogue, but I do great world building. Do you find that this really is different by the author? I feel like we fall into these different groups. Steven: Yes, I do. I kind of feel like that's very true as far as what comes first, whether it's a description of a place, whether it's the action. I mean, basically a story has dialogue, narration—or we call it sometimes exposition—and description. Those three things. Every story has those three things, and those are the three that we use to tell a story, a novel. So some people tend to drift into one or the other as sort of their default setting: dialogue, description, or action. That's true. I think also something else that's interesting about writers is they tend to fall into either the camp of being a wordsmith or a storyteller. Not everyone, but I feel like some people are wordsmiths, where I read what they're writing, and I'm like, “Man, this is so powerful, evocative,” whatever. Maybe there's no story there. It's just really interesting writing. Other people just are natural storytellers, and they have to really work on the wordsmithing. I think that's me. I'm more naturally just a storyteller, but it takes me a long time to get the descriptions to where I want them, to choose exactly the right word. That takes me more effort. Some people have to build up the storytelling muscles. I have to build up the wordsmithing muscles. Jo: Well, part of the reason I wanted to talk to you is because you talk about this thing called organic writing in your book Story Trumps Structure, which is out now in a second edition. I call it discovery writing, so similar to you. But most people in the writing community seem to obsess about plotting and planning. So talk about your process of organic writing. You say in the book, “Trust the fluidity of the process.” Tell us more about that. Steven: Well, I remember in high school even, when my teacher got up front and he kind of got this very almost wise look on his face, and he goes, “A story is something with a beginning, a middle, and an end.” I'm sitting there in high school like, “Well, so does a bratwurst. What are you talking about here?” A description of a chair has a beginning, a middle, and an end. The sentence, “Preheat the oven to 450 degrees,” has a beginning, a middle, and an end. My view is that saying a story is something that has three acts is like saying that a pizza is something with three toppings. It might have three. It might have one. It might have five. So the idea for me is not to worry about structure, trying to tick off the boxes of a template, a formula you find online, a fill-in-the-blanks kind of a thing. But instead, to actually look at what lies at the heart of the story—the character, the tension, the struggle, the pursuit, the pivots and plot twists, and the payoff at the end. As you develop those aspects of the story, I feel like you need to worry less and less about following a formula. The more you understand what lies at the heart of a story, I feel like the less you need to plot and the less you need to write by the seat of your pants. A lot of people say, “Oh, you write by the seat of…” No, I don't write by the seat of my pants, because I know what a story contains, so I know that in a certain scene a character will make certain choices that are unpredictable but that escalate the tension, and different things like that. I'm a huge proponent of discovery, as you say, or organic writing. I won't get the quote exactly right, but Ray Bradbury said something along the lines of, “Plot is the tracks left in the snow after your characters have run by on their incredible destinations. It cannot precede action. It is the chart that remains when an action is through.” So he's saying plot is not what precedes action. After the action, you have plot. So the whole idea of trying to plot out a story before you write it is going about writing exactly backwards. Plot doesn't precede action. It's the result. So I always tell people, “Don't worry so much about the plot. I want you to look at the pursuit.” A plotter might say, “Well, what should happen?” And they'll just come up with something. But an organic writer—a pursuit-based question would be, what does the character want? Now, when I know what the character wants, I will know what should happen. So literally, it will lead me to the story. Focusing on plot will not necessarily lead you to the story. It might lead you down the wrong track. Jo: Then in terms of your actual writing process— Do you start writing without knowing the ending? Do you write in order? Is the organic side also in the process? Steven: I've never started a book where I know how it will end. So I usually start with either a character that's fascinating or, in some cases, a premise, a question. Then as I write, I explore the possibilities of where it might go. I've tried to outline a scene—like one scene, not a whole book—and it never works. I can't even outline one scene. I've tried, and I'm like, okay, that's… What I end up with is completely different from it, so it's just a waste of time and effort for me to try to outline or plot out a story. I'm much more interested in the pathway the characters will take as they face obstacles and setbacks in their pursuit. As the struggles and the tension develop, what choices will they make? That's how the story will unfold for me. Jo: I'm similar. Then I also wonder— Do you do character sheets and character bios, or do the characters also unfold organically? Steven: Absolutely, I don't do any of the sheets and bios and stuff. The characters really come to me as I write. I begin to get to know them. I always tell people, a character with an attitude is more interesting than a character with a background. So a lot of people will spend a lot of time on, like, where's this character gone to college, and what's their first pet's name, all that stuff. I'm not trying to dump on that idea. I get that that can be helpful. But I'm like, how would I know that until I've spent time with them? Then once I begin to spend time with them, I'm writing and I'm like, “Nah, this doesn't seem like what that character would really say or do,” so I have to go back and rejigger the story to hopefully make it fit with that character. Then I like to give the characters some sort of attitude. I'm not talking about a negative or judgy attitude, but an attitude about something that is unique or different, and that makes them not a template character, not an archetype or whatever, but unique. Sort of this constellation of unique traits, characteristics, maybe wounds, flaws and so on, that create a character where you're like, “This is a character like none I've ever seen before. I want to spend time with this character.” Jo: Then you're spending time with the character by writing what's happening, as opposed to writing loads of stuff beforehand and then starting to write. You're actually finding all of this out during the process of writing. Steven: Yes, and I think it's kind of like getting to know someone. If I were to say, “Okay, I'm going to write down Jo's bio,” or whatever—okay, I'm making stuff up, because I don't know you super well. If we were to spend time together, hang out, whatever, talk, over the course of time I would start to know, oh, she likes this, she doesn't like that. This is important to her. This is what she would weep or pound the table over—whatever, all of the things that come with time. It's like a friendship in real life to me. So I can't sit down and tell you what a character in real life would think and say and do if I don't know them, but the more time I spend with them, then the more I'm able to predict that accurately. I think the mistake a lot of people make is they think, “I'm going to get to know this character with a background,” and then they start writing it, and instead of looking at the context, they look back at the—I don't know what you call it—the background or something like that. I always feel like what you mentioned earlier is, like, hold it loosely in your hand. Trust the fluidity of the process. As you're writing, you have an instinct. “Ah, I think this character would say this or do this.” So trust that. Trust that instinct. Trust that moment in the story, instead of trying to go back to an outline, back to a character description, or whatever it might be. So I'm a big proponent of looking at the context—not just what happened, but what is the result? So looking at the impetus and the implication of the choices and the activities. When something occurs, what would the character naturally say or do or think or respond? Then what would that cause? What's the implication that that would have on the rest of the story, on the rest of the characters? So, really trying to keep your finger on the pulse of the story, and adapt as you move forward through it. Jo: I love all of that, but I also am very aware that you've been in traditional publishing for over 20 years, and one of the things with agents and publishers is that they often ask for an outline. So how do you manage that? Or how did you more earlier in your career, because I imagine they just trust you now. Earlier in your career, or people listening who want to pitch but they write in this organic way, how do we deal with that kind of thing? Steven: Well, okay, so there's two good questions. One is about producing an outline for an agent or editor or publisher and so on. The other is how to pitch a story. So the first: I would write the premise down, and maybe a paragraph or two, and then where I think it might go. Basically, I would focus on the questions that the characters will face, maybe the moral dilemmas, the sacrifices they have to make, the world they live in. I kind of know that stuff, and I can write a couple of paragraphs about that. But beyond that, I just don't know what's going to happen, so I can't really provide more. I'm looking at my shelf at the books that I've done, and mostly that's what I've done is kind of a couple of paragraphs focusing on the premise and the problem, the struggle, and so on like that. As far as pitching a story, I always tell people, “Don't pitch the plot, pitch the pivot.” I think that there's a screenwriter—I think that he talks about this a little bit. I've not read the book Save the Cat, but people have told me, “Oh, he kind of brings this up in that book.” The idea is to pitch the irony instead of what occurs. So sometimes when I tell people to pitch, or I give them ideas, one process that you can use is: when, must, before, or else. So, when this occurs, this character must do something before this, or else. So you have the character, you have the struggle, you have the inciting incident, you have the stakes, and you have the countdown. It works well for thrillers. So for instance, like Jaws. When a man-eating shark starts eating people in a small seaside village, the sheriff must stop him before more people die and the town loses its economy. So there you have when, must, before, or else. Now, no one's going to buy the story based on that, because there's no irony, there's no pivot. It's just a description of the plot, and that's what most people pitch. So I always tell people, pitch the part of the story that you wouldn't expect. So for instance, in there you might pitch: when a shark starts eating people in a small seaside village, the only one who can stop him is afraid of the water. Now you're like, “Oh, well, that's interesting. How does that happen? What happens there?” With my book Broker of Lies, the pitch was something like, when a high-level Pentagon redactor ends up on the run, he must stop a terrorist attack before he's neutralised by the people he trusts the most. So the pivot is that the people he trusts at the Pentagon the most are actually trying to neutralise him because he's on the run, and all that kind of stuff. So why would they be trying to do that? Well, that's interesting. So it's always looking for the irony, the pivot. Why is this character the last one in the world who would ever be equipped to tackle this problem or face this issue? So that's one way to do a pitch. Obviously there's lots of them, but I think your goal with a pitch is to get them to say, “Tell me more.” It's not necessarily to summarise the whole story. Jo: That's great advice. So you teach writers—I first saw you at ThrillerFest, I think it was 2012—and you do events, you run writing retreats. So you work with a lot of authors, and I wondered, what are the challenges that you see from authors with, say, five books? So not the beginner authors, because obviously there's a lot of challenges. But those who, let's say they've got the three to five books, things are going all right, but they're like, “How do I get to the next level?” What are the craft issues, or the business issues as well, that mid-list authors face? Steven: Well, business, I'm not the guy to ask. I could try to answer that, but I mean, basically: meet your deadlines and write something amazing. Try to be easy to work with, but also stand up for what you wrote as far as working with editors. It's sort of a fine line you have to walk. The one thing that over the last few years I've really noticed in a lot of writers who are in that space is that they don't have many pivots. They tend to write predictable stories, and that's why they tend to stay where they're at—whether it's because they're following an outline or a plot formula or whatever it is. So when I talk about a pivot, I mean a moment in the story where something happens that's both unexpected and inevitable. For instance, if you're reading a story, you want things to make sense. You want them to be logical. That's one thing. But you don't want them to be too predictable. If it's too predictable, it's boring. It's like, I'm not interested. So we also want surprises. We want these two things. We want logic, and we want surprise. When those two things meet and you have a moment in the story where it's like, “I didn't see that coming, but that totally makes sense,” that's what we want, and we want that in every scene. I feel like a lot of authors don't have that in every scene. Now, you might say, “Well, every scene?” Well, yes, because basically those two factors, logic and surprise, can only meet in four different ways. You could have something that's very logical but has no surprises. That's going to be boring. It's going to be too predictable. We don't want that. You could have something that is very surprising but not logical. It makes no sense. A lot of stuff is surprising, but that's not what we want, because it's unbelievable, and it's like, what is going on here? You could have something that has neither logic nor surprise, which obviously we don't want that. The only other option is to have a moment that is both logical and surprising. So you have a choice in every scene. You have four choices, actually. You can have it be predictable and boring. You can have it be nonsensical. You can have it be unbelievable. Or you can have a pivot. So I find myself trying to really coach people on pivots. They'll say, “Oh, well, do I need it in every scene?” I'm like, “You can choose, but do you want it to be predictable or boring or nonsensical, or do you want it to really drive the story forward?” I think it's because people have been taught structure and plot and three acts and all this kind of stuff, but they haven't been taught this idea—even though it's not something I made up. Aristotle, in Poetics, thousands of years ago, put it a little bit differently, but he said, “The reversal of the situation”—what I call the pivot—”is the moment at which the action veers around to its opposite”—that would be what I call surprise—”subject always to a rule of probability or necessity”—which is the logic. So he's basically saying the same thing in just a little bit different language, but you have these three factors. You have logic, you have surprise, and you have them come together in a specific moment. I don't know why it's not taught more. I have never found anyone who teaches pivots. I have not found any books, so I wrote a book recently about how to use pivots. It's so central, and I think great storytellers naturally do it. You'll read a book, or you'll maybe watch a show, and you're like, “Oh, I didn't see that coming. That totally makes sense.” I don't see anyone else out there really focusing on teaching that. So that's a huge thing for me, really, to help people move up in their writing, elevate it to a different level. Jo: Is that Delve, Pivot, Propel? Steven: Yes. That book came out a couple years ago. We just re-released it. I updated it some, but it talks pretty much in depth about pivots and how to actually use those to propel the stories forward. Jo: Maybe you could just give us one tip on how to do that, because going back to the organic writing—let's say I've been organically writing, and every time a character has a decision to make, I think at that point about what I want to write and I write it. Are you suggesting that we go back in the edit and look at the end of every scene and redo it? Because I can't imagine that I would get this right every time. I would need to do that in an edit, I think. Steven: I think for me, when I'm writing, I'm always asking myself a series of questions. One is, what would the character naturally do? I want to make it believable and natural. Let them do it. I want to escalate the tension, so I'll ask myself, “How can I make things worse?” Then I'll always ask myself, how can I add a pivot to this scene? So as I'm writing a scene—again, I don't know how it will end when I start it—but if I use the first idea that comes to mind, probably a lot of readers would guess that as well, because it's the first idea that comes to mind. It's probably logical and probably predictable. That's why most stories end up being too predictable. It's because we go with the first idea that maybe we had. So I try to discard that. Maybe the second idea, just discard it. Then I start thinking, okay, now if I've discarded the obvious, what is going on? What's below the surface? So to answer your question, I'm looking for what isn't what it appears to be, or who isn't who they appear to be, or a surprising way to bring together plot threads that I didn't see related before. So it's always looking for the unexpected, the surprise, because most of the time that is what we're missing. Now, if you have a great surprise, then you have to lean into making it believable. So you've got to move into that idea of, well, what would the character naturally do? You can't just have him do something ridiculous and then say, “Oh, it's for my twist.” No, you can't do that. You've got to play fair. So it has to be believable, causally related, logical, and surprising. That's what you're shooting for. Those are the questions going through my mind. So as I'm working on a scene, I'm like, “How could I end this?” Or include something that people won't see coming right away. The best ideas always come to me then. It's so interesting. A lot of people will say, “Oh, don't write organically,” or, quote, “by the seat of your pants,” whatever they'll say, “because then you might write yourself into a corner.” I'm like, “Yes, absolutely write yourself into a corner. That's what I'm trying to do in every scene.” And then you write yourself out of a corner in a way that's logical and surprising. The best twists I've ever come up with have been when I'm in a corner. So why would I warn people against going to the place where the best ideas await them? That just seems mean. Why would I do that? No, I want you to have the best possible ideas. So yes, look for corners, write yourself into them, and then write yourself out of them in a way that's both logical and surprising. Jo: I guess also it needs to be genre specific. We write mainly thrillers, and there is this fine line, isn't there? I love Stephen King, but one of the most unbelievable endings is Under the Dome. I still remember feeling betrayed. I don't know if you've read that one, but— Steven: Oh, no. Jo: I was like, “I'm sorry, you've just changed genre in the last chapter of the book. What is going on here?” Steven: That's actually interesting. The fourth question I ask… So I ask, what would the character naturally do? How can I make things worse? How can I add a pivot? But the fourth question is, what promises have I made that I have not yet kept? So genre, to me, is a promise. You build up a promise in your writing at the beginning of the book, and then I feel like as we write, we have to honour that. So if we bring something up that's super interesting, bring it back or whatever. Keep your promises. Keep your narrative promises. It's true of really any genre. Let's say you're writing a romance. You want to respect the conventions, but not fall into the clichés. So there's going to be a moment where the lovers meet, right? They haven't met before. I don't know what they call it, a meet cute or a cute meet. I think they call it a meet cute, I guess. Jo: Yes. They do. Steven: Anyway. So they're going to meet, right? And you're like, “Oh, I'll just have them meet.” Well, try to do it in a way we haven't seen before. Add something else to the scene. Add a third element, as my friend Bob Dugoni likes to say. Add something a little bit that we're like, “Huh, I've never seen that before.” We know they're going to meet, but let them meet in a way that we don't anticipate, that we can't predict right away, that isn't exactly by the numbers, and then you're going to be on the right track. Jo: So then, talking about reader expectations and genre, I wondered if I could also ask you about your Christian faith, because many people listening are people of faith, and some people want to write a Christian book. Other people want to bring their faith into, say, a mainstream type thriller in an authentic way. So how do you balance your faith and your writing? Because I think you have some series that are more sort of Christian than others. Steven: It's interesting. When my first novel came out—The Pawn, like a chess piece, The Pawn—back almost 20 years ago. Gosh, 20 years ago. Nineteen. But anyway, when it came out, someone wrote to me and said, “Is this a Christian book?” I'm like, “What would make a book not Christian?” I'm like, maybe if it has a lot of idolatry, or witchcraft, or maybe sexuality or graphic violence. Then I'm like, oh, wait, that's… No, that's the Old Testament. So it's interesting, because people have asked me similar questions over the years. My books are not sermons in disguise. I'm trying to write great stories that anyone of any background or faith will enjoy. I always ask big questions. I let my characters wrestle with questions that matter, I think. Do my choices matter? Is there hope? Is there a God? Is there no God? Do I have free will? Can I find forgiveness? Can I offer forgiveness? Can I extend it, or whatever? So I always try to base the stories on something deeper. I do believe that there is good and there's evil in the world. That's part of my worldview. So when people talk about moral ambiguity, I don't want to write or read something that's morally ambiguous. I want moral complexity, but I also want moral clarity. So whenever you write, the question is, what are you justifying and what are you condemning? And if you're justifying something that's morally—I would say wrong, actually—then I don't feel like that's the kind of book I would want to write. So I want to write stories that explore good and evil, that explore our world, human nature, in an honest way. I feel like when you write honest stories, people, no matter what their background or whatever faith, then they will connect with it. I think a lot of people, if they start off with an agenda—whatever that agenda might be, let's say it is a Christian agenda, like I want people to trust in Jesus, let's say—so they write a story. Well, what you're doing, you're actually starting your story with an answer, and drama is not built on answers, it's built on questions. So you're actually diminishing the amount of tension. You're also diminishing the possibility of a pivot, because we all get where you're going. It's predictable, but there's probably no surprise. You're diminishing the payoff at the end, because we're like, “I saw that coming. I exactly knew where you were going with this.” So instead, I don't start with an answer. I always start with a question, or in some cases a moral dilemma, like, what's more important, protecting the innocent or telling the truth? That's interesting to me. If I had to choose between the two, would I tell the truth or would I protect the innocent? It's interesting, because people might come down on different sides of it. They might say, “Oh, you should always tell the truth,” or they say, “You always should protect the innocent.” I'm like, okay, well, let's explore it. Let's literally ask the question. So I come from a certain worldview, but I've written characters who have very different worldviews from me. I'm always just trying to be honest with the character, ask big questions, tell a story that examines human nature and sort of the paradoxes of the human condition in a way that will resonate with really whoever the readers might be. Jo: And of course that worldview is part of your author voice and part of what readers come to you for. I also notice that you have some pretty diverse different series. How do you manage that diversity of series under your one brand? Do you find your readers move from one to the other, or do you have different readerships? Steven: You mentioned the B word—brand. That's what publishers are always telling me: “What's your brand?” I'm like, “I don't know. You tell me what my brand is.” I've done fantasy, science fiction, conspiracy. I've done spies and police procedurals and crime and suspense, thrills, whatever. So I would say the one thing that really ties all my stories together is probably just suspense. They are stories with suspense. Some are more high concept thrillers, some are more dark fantasy, but they're built around suspense. So I guess that would be intelligent suspense, maybe, if I was trying to come up with a brand. Something like that. Because I don't want them to be dumbed down. They're not dumbed down stories, so they're a little bit more complex than you might find in other places, but always built around the idea of suspense. Suspense to me is basically—my definition is apprehension born of concern. So we're concerned about a character, and we're apprehensive because there's peril around the bend, or right in front of them. So I want the readers to really care about a character, and then try to build the story and the suspense around that empathy or sympathy that we have for the character. Jo: I think it's really interesting, because again, you mentioned 2007—we're coming up on 20 years since first published. The publishing industry has changed a lot. So what do you think has changed most in publishing for you, and what are your thoughts on routes to market for new authors these days? Or even established authors who are finding that things have changed, which they obviously have. Steven: Well, I'm not a marketer, I'm not a businessman. I'm just a storyteller at heart. So I just keep writing stories that I would be intrigued with reading, stories that I feel like are resonant. Then I look for publishers for those. I've been to a variety of different publishers over the last decade. I've done some different types of stories. I feel like you have to just write the story instead of trying to write for a specific market trend or something like that. So I might not make as much as some of my friends, I might not sell as many books, but I feel like I have to write certain stories if they grab ahold of me. There's a Native American—I think the Pawnee tribe, anyway, in the United States—but they were saying that all the stories that exist are out there already, and when one finds you, it's your job to share it with the world. I think that's kind of interesting. Sometimes—maybe it's just true for you, I don't know, Jo—but it's like a story will grab hold of me, or an idea, and I'm like, “I can't shake it.” That's a story that I want to tell the world. I would say that stories are becoming shorter, dumber. People are trying to write faster. They're trying to write several books a year, and as a result of that, some of the quality has gone down. This is all unfortunate. I'm still sort of a dinosaur. I still tend to write longer, complex stories. But people have shorter attention spans and whatever, and they're not reading as much. The structure of stories, I think, is changing slightly, where people will have to spend more time on a hook to really grab the attention of the readers. Then there might be a longer slow period, or more info dumping, which I'm not a fan of. So they kind of look like, “I want to get readers hooked at the beginning, and then get them to flip pages.” So I tend to set up my stories a little bit differently than that. So I'm not the best guy to ask about marketing and sales and stuff like that. I feel like, write a story that will not let you go. And if you do that, I feel like that's the kind of story that will resonate with readers, because there's a deep honesty to it. You care, you're passionate about it. It's not just something you're trying to spin out just to sell books. That's my view. Jo: I guess I also feel that writers are doing other things. So you have non-fiction, you have your podcast, you do events. I see you sell books direct from your website. It's like the business expands into multiple streams of income, so that the art doesn't have to pay all the bills. Steven: That's interesting. I do love to teach writing at conferences, events, and speak at different things. So I guess if you think about it that way, my brand might be just story, or storytelling, or something like that. Really trying to get out there, and whether it's speaking or writing, just tell a great story. So it's so interesting when I work with publishers and they'll ask, “What's your brand?” Basically it's like, “What's your box?” is really what they're asking. What box can we stick you in that will make it easy for us to package you and sell you? I know myself, and just a lot of authors that I know, we don't think in a box. Every one of my stories is not boxy. It's not the same. They're different. I know a lot of authors like that too. So it's unfortunate. I get it, that it's part of them trying to market and sell the books. I understand that, but I think being honest, genuine with the story, doing the very best you can, writing a worthy book, and then letting them come up with a way to categorise it, is probably the best bet. I don't know. Jo: We're almost out of time, but this is obviously a podcast, and you have a podcast. So tell us about The Story Blender Podcast and what people might find over there. Steven: Yes, I appreciate it. Basically, I interview some of the leading writers and storytellers in the world every week, and the goal is for great storytellers to share the secrets of great storytelling. So I basically pick their brains, kind of like what you were doing with me today, and find out what projects they're working on, and really just try to get insights into storytelling. So it's tons of fun. I've been doing it now for a number of years, and I guess I've interviewed over 250 different authors and writers from around the world, and so I always enjoy it. It's a ton of fun. It's The Story Blender, and people can find it anywhere. Jo: So where can people find you and your books and everything you do online? Steven: Probably the best place is StevenJames.net. I think I'm on different socials @readstevenjames, so you can look me up there—Facebook, Instagram, X, and so on. I think they're all under readstevenjames. Check out the website, drop me a note. I always enjoy hearing from readers. Jo: Well, thanks so much for your time, Steven. That was great. Steven: Thanks, Jo. I appreciate it. Good luck. The post Organic Writing And The Power Of The Pivot In Fiction With Steven James first appeared on The Creative Penn.

Steven James is a critically acclaimed author of eighteen novels and numerous nonfiction books that have sold more than 1 million copies. His books have won or been shortlisted for dozens of national and international awards. In addition, his stories and articles have appeared in more than eighty different publications, including the New York Times. He is also a popular keynote speaker and professional storyteller with a master's degree in storytelling.  James' latest thriller, FATAL DOMAIN, is available. The new series follows Travis Brock, a redactor for the Department of Defense who must attempt to unearth the truth of a personal tragedy while trying to stop a terrorist group from stealing one of the military's most highly guarded technological breakthroughs. Since 1996, James has appeared more than two thousand times at events spanning the globe, presenting his stories and teaching the principles of storytelling to writers, speakers, teachers, and leaders. He also hosts the weekly podcast The Story Blender, on which he has interviewed more than 150 of the world's leading writers and storytellers. In 2020, he was inducted into the Christy Award Hall of Fame for excellence in fiction writing. Publishers Weekly has called him “[a] master storyteller at the peak of his game.” When he's not writing or speaking, you may find him playing basketball or disc golf, or hiking near his home in the Appalachian Highlands of East Tennessee. He may or may not watch too many science fiction movies while eating bottomless bowls of chips and salsa. 

Join hosts JD Barker, Christine Daigle, Jena Brown and Kevin Tumlinson as they discuss the week's entertainment news, including Small Press Distribution shutting down, deals rebounding in the first quarter, and how Google is considering charging for AI-powered search. Then, stick around for a chat with author Steven James! Steven James is a critically acclaimed author of eighteen novels and numerous nonfiction books that have sold more than 1 million copies. His books have won or been shortlisted for dozens of national and international awards. In addition, his stories and articles have appeared in more than eighty different publications, including the New York Times. He is also a popular keynote speaker and professional storyteller with a master's degree in storytelling.  Since 1996, James has appeared more than two thousand times at events spanning the globe, presenting his stories and teaching the principles of storytelling to writers, speakers, teachers, and leaders. He also hosts the weekly podcast The Story Blender, on which he has interviewed more than 150 of the world's leading writers and storytellers. In 2020, he was inducted into the Christy Award Hall of Fame for excellence in fiction writing. Publishers Weekly has called him “[a] master storyteller at the peak of his game.” --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/writersink/support

On this week's episode of The Story Blender, I speak with noted reality television, and unscripted TV show expert Troy Devolld. We talk about how reality TV has matured and grown in recent years, the not-so-secret secrets to developing a great show (hint, hint, it has to do with authenticity not just conflict.) We also discuss what it means to reinvent yourself (and it might not mean what you think it does) and why it's important to get the mustard water out as you write your stories. Give it a listen!

If you've ever thought about writing a screenplay and don't know where to start, you're going to love this week's episode of The Story Blender. Listen as I chat with Bob Saenz, a screeenwriter, author, and film writing instructor on secrets to humor, horror, characterization, and tons of inside tips to writing for Hollywood (which, you'll soon learn doesn't even exist…) Keep your pen handy to take notes as Bob shares valuable insights from his screenwriting career and his book THAT'S NOT THE WAY IT WORKS, a no-nonsense guide to the craft and business of screenwriting. Check it out!

Join Steven James as he talks with siblings Boyd and Beth Morrison on this episode of The Story Blender. They chat about the Black Plague, writing gripping historical thrillers, creating stories that entrain as well as inform readers, the ins and outs of collaboration, and the importance of finishing your novel and striving for brilliance rather than perfection.  You don't want to miss this one! #thestoryblender #readstevenjames

Clare Mackintosh is the multi-award-winning author of New York Times bestseller I LET YOU GO, and Sunday Times bestsellers I SEE YOU, LET ME LIE, AFTER THE END, HOSTAGE and THE LAST PARTY. Translated into forty languages, her books have sold more than two million copies worldwide, and have spent a combined total of 64 weeks in the Sunday Times bestseller chart. Her latest novel is A GAME OF LIES, the second in a crime series featuring Welsh Detective Morgan. Join Steven James and Clare Macintosh on this episode of The Story Blender podcast.

Listen as Steven James interviews award winning, critically-acclaimed crime novelist W.C. Ryan. W.C. shares his insights into writing historical mysteries, on the importance of conflict and risk, on writing scenes drenched in intrigue ,how to keep people flipping the pages and the importance of the sense of place in the stories you tell. They discuss W.C.'s latest book, THE WINTER HOUSE, and his upcoming release, The Constant Solider. This episode of The Story Blender is a good one, don't miss it!

Wow! What a great conversation Steven James had with Lee Goldberg, a veteran TV writer and novelist. Get your pen ready to take notes as Lee talks about what characters do in a story (surprise, surprise; they don't change), how to make compelling characters, where humor comes from, the secret to Monk's character, how to use a “living outline,” and his latest novel MALIBU BURNING. Check out this episode of The Story Blender. Author and screenwriter Lee Goldberg has topped bestseller lists, earned wide critical acclaim, and garnered a worldwide devoted fan base for his compelling and meticulously researched police procedurals and spy thrillers. His latest book, MALIBU BURNING, which Thomas & Mercer will publish on September 1, 2023, marks a brand-new direction in crime fiction for the talented storyteller. It's a relentless thriller tracking both a master thief with a conscience and the dogged investigators out to stop him from pulling off the ultimate heist in the midst of a raging wildfire. Lee Goldberg is a two-time Edgar Award and two-time Shamus Award nominee and the #1 New York Times bestselling author of nearly 40 novels, including Lost Hills, True Fiction, fifteen Monk mysteries, and the first five “Fox & O'Hare” books, co-written with Janet Evanovich. He's also written and/or produced many TV shows, including Diagnosis Murder, SeaQuest, and Monk, and co-created the Hallmark movie series Mystery 101. As an international television consultant, he has advised networks and studios in Canada, France, Germany, Spain, China, Sweden, and the Netherlands on the creation, writing, and production of episodic television series. 

Listen to the newest episode of The Story Blender as Steven James chats with Chris Pavone, the author of 5 international thrillers whose latest book TWO NIGHTS IN LISBON is available now. They talk about what to include and what to avoid in writing stories, the importance of setting, credibility and characters and other secrets to keeping people flipping the pages. 

Join Steven James for a new episode of The Story Blender featuring Alice Hoffman. As one of our country's most distinguished novelist, Alice has written more than 30 novels, as well as short fiction that has appeared in more than 100 editions worldwide. Her newest novel THE INVISIBLE HOUR releases August 15. Listen as we chat about the importance of fairytales, the power of storytelling to not only capture imagination but shape (and change) lives, and the incredible depths storytelling can take us to.

Wow, what a fascinating interview! Today I'm joined by Steven James who's the author of 24 nonfiction books and 18 novels that have sold over 1 million copies. He's also the host of The Story Blender podcast. In this interview, we talk about: -How James finally wrote & published his first novel-Have you ever thought “I could write a better book than this!”? If so, here's what to do-What writing 24 nonfiction books taught James that helped him write better novels-Should you write fiction or nonfiction first? Here's how to decide…-Are storytellers born or made? Nature or nurture?-All stories have 4 elements; great stories have 2 additional elements...what are they?-How you should look at marketing differently as an author (and what James does to sell books)-How to market a new series vs. books in an existing seriesAnd so much more! If you're a fiction author or someone who's passionate about storytelling, you don't want to miss this episode! Watch the free training: https://selfpublishing.com/freetrainingSchedule a no-cost call with our team: https://selfpublishing.com/schedule Here are some links that might come in handy: Apply for a free book consultation Register for our free on-demand training Must-watch episodes: SPS 044: Using A Free + Shipping Book Funnel with Anik Singal SPS 115: Using Atomic Habits To Write & Publish A Book with James Clear SPS 127: Traditional vs. Self Publishing: Which You Should Choose with Ruth Soukup SPS 095: The Five Love Languages: Selling 15 Million Copies with Gary Chapman SPS 056: How I Sold 46M Copies of My Self Published Book with Robert Kiyosaki

On this week's episode of The Story Blender podcast, join me as I talk with Isabella Maldonado whose book "The Cipher" is based becoming a new Netflix series. Listen as we discuss the ins and outs of writing police procedurals and making them both believable and authentic and as well as original and thrilling. We also discuss her latest book, A Killer's Game.  #thestoryblender #isabellamaldonado #readstevenjames #thriller

Listen to an encouraging conversation with Nicole Baart as she shares the inside scoop on her latest novel, THE LONG WAY BACK. We also discus her writing process (it may surprise you) and who inspired her to pursue the writing life. We talked the difference between suspense and mystery, how to create concern and curiosity in the minds of your readers and letting your stories reflect the struggles and questions your'e wrestling with in your own life. Her book is available now. Don't miss this episode of The Story Blender #thestoryblender #nicolebaart #thelongwayback #readstevenjames

Steven James, host of The Story Blender, is a critically acclaimed author of eighteen novels and numerous nonfiction books that have sold more than 1 million copies. His books have won or been shortlisted for dozens of national and international awards. In addition, his stories and articles have appeared in more than eighty different publications, including the New York Times. He is also a popular keynote speaker and professional storyteller with a master's degree in storytelling.  Bethany Jett  is an author, as well as a literary agent and a book marketing expert. She co-founded Serious Writer, Inc. and recently completed an MFA in Communication. When she's not writing or speaking at events nationwide, she reads suspense novels, manages a busy household with three boys and consults on the business of writing.  Kaleo Griffith was raised in the Hawaiian Islands and has been been performing since the age of 15. Griffith graduated cum laude from Franklin Pierce University with a B.A. in Theatre, holds an M.F.A. in Acting from Rutgers University, and is a graduate of The American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He has also lived, and trained classically in the United Kingdom through Roger Williams University. Recently Kaleo has been nominated for his second Audie for Tools of Titans written by Tim Ferriss. Griffith's voice work encompasses many TV/ Radio commercial campaigns and over 250 audiobooks. Griffith won an Audie for Lincoln In The Bardo (multicast) and has been honored by The Library Journal, and AudioFile Magazine with six "Earphone" Awards. He is the narrator for the audiobook of Steven James' newest novel, BROKER OF LIES. 

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Steven James. We'll be talking about his multifaceted storytelling framework, and his book The Art of the Tale. Steven James is the bestselling, critically acclaimed author of eighteen novels that have won or been shortlisted for more than a dozen national and international awards. His thrillers have been praised by Suspense Magazine, Booklist, and the New York Journal of Books and received starred reviews from both Library Journal and Publishers Weekly, who called his work “thought-provoking” and “riveting.” He has also written two award-winning books on the craft of writing, Story Trumps Structure and Troubleshooting Your Novel. When he's not writing, he teaches storytelling at events around the globe and hosts the weekly podcast, The Story Blender. You can find him on his website or follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.   In this episode Steven James and I discuss: The importance of what is, not what appears to be. Giving readers what they don't know they want. How plot isn't about events, but about the collision of desires.   Plus, his #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/452

As a writer, how do you define Story? What value do you place on context? Get ready to learn a few aspects of story you may not be familiar with our host, Linda Goldfarb, and her industry expert, the critically acclaimed, best-selling author Steven James.Steven has served as a contributing editor to Writer's Digest Magazine and is the author of the groundbreaking nonfiction books Story Trumps Structure and Troubleshooting Your Novel. When he's not working on his next book, Steven teaches Novel Writing Intensive retreats across the country with New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni and hosts the weekly podcast The Story Blender, on which he has interviewed more than two hundred of the top storytellers and writers in the world.In this episode, Linda and Steven discuss the writing cube, pivot, and payoff. Steven provides a clear insight into the aspects of believability, escalation, causality, twists, and surprises along the way.LINKSSteven JamesPreview downloads for The Art of the Tale - freeSteven James BooksThe Fiction Intensive Writing ConferenceThe Art of the Tale bookVisit Your Best Writing Life website.Join our Facebook group, Your Best Writing LifeAbout your host - Linda GoldfarbSponsored by Access More!

In which the narrator talks with the best-selling and award-winning novelist Meg Gardiner about her latest book, HEAT 2, a collaboration with filmmaker Michael Mann that sequelizes and prequelizes his 1995 crime epic, HEAT, starring Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, and Val Kilmer. Here's a link to my favorite interview with Meg Gardiner, on THE STORY BLENDER podcast: https://www.thestoryblender.com/past-recordings/meggardiner2022 PATREON: www.patreon.com/thousandmovieproject EMAIL: thousandmovieproject@gmail.com

Lisa Phillips is a British ex-pat who grew up an hour outside of London. She is a USA Today and Publisher's Weekly bestselling author who is releasing her 61st book this fall. In this interview on The Story Blender, she shares her strategy for publishing and writing, how she deals with upcoming deadlines, and her thoughts on character arcs. If you like romantic suspense, especially inspirational suspense, check it out! 

Over the last few weeks I've had the honor of working with the creative writing students at Elizabethton High School in Tennessee as an author in residence. We explored the elements of all great stories, how to write organically (without an outline), and how to critique each other's work. So, this week on The Story Blender, I decided to take a break from interviewing other storytellers or authors and give the students a chance to share their stories. So, sit back and enjoy some entertaining (and frightening!) stories inspired by the simple prompt: Earth Day. This is Part 2 of 2. (We'll be back next week with an interview with NYT Bestselling author and former FBI agent, Don Bentley.)

Over the last few weeks I've had the honor of working with the creative writing students at Elizabethton High School in Tennessee as an author in residence. We explored the elements of all great stories, how to write organically (without an outline), and how to critique each other's work. So, this week on The Story Blender, I decided to take a break from interviewing other storytellers or authors and give the students a chance to share their stories. So, sit back and enjoy some entertaining (and frightening!) stories inspired by the simple prompt: Earth Day. This is Part 1 of 2. (We'll be back next week with an interview with NYT Bestselling author and former FBI agent, Don Bentley.) 

From the Story Vault: Paul Leyden is a multi-talented Australian actor, producer, and screenwriter with dozens of film and television credits. In this episode of The Story Blender, he discusses his twisty indie horror flick Come Back To Me and unpacks his writing process, offering advice for those hoping to break into the film industry.

THE STORYTELLER'S MISSION WITH ZENA DELL LOWEEPISODE 62 – Zena's Interview as a Guest on The Story Blender PodcastZena Dell Lowe was honored to be a returning guest on The Story Blender podcast. Her episode aired on Friday, April 30, 2021.This is a show where award-winning writer Steven James interviews some of the world's top storytellers on the secrets to great storytelling. Some of their previous guests include international bestselling authors George R.R. Martin, Steve Berry, Meg Gardiner, Jeffery Deaver, Sue Grafton, MJ Rose, and comedian Bob Stromberg among others. Episodes of The Story Blender air every Friday on their website at www.thestoryblender.com. You can also find them on Amazon, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast providers. Conversations usually run between 45 minutes to an hour, so it's a great chance to share some of my favorite storytelling secrets! Read More About Steven James:Steven James is the critically-acclaimed author of seventeen novels. He is a contributing editor to Writer's Digest Magazine and is the author of the groundbreaking book Story Trumps Structure as well as the award-winning guidebook used by thousands of novelists, Troubleshooting Your Novel. Publishers Weekly calls him “[a] master storyteller at the peak of his game.” When he's not working on his next novel, Steven teaches Novel Writing Intensive retreats across the country with New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni. Steven's latest book is a near-future sci-fi thriller called Synapse.OUR ONLINE PLATFORMThe Storyteller's Mission online platform is finally up and running! Sign up for one-on-one COACHING, get a SCRIPT CRITIQUE, or register for one of our highly anticipated ADVANCED CLASSES ON WRITING today! TOPIC REQUESTS? If you have a question or a specific writing related topic that you would like Zena to consider addressing in a future podcast, LEAVE US A VOICEMAIL recording with your problem, question, or issue! SPECIAL THANKS -The Storyteller's Mission with Zena Dell Lowe would like to thank composer CARLA PATULLO for the original music she graciously permits us to use in the intro and outro of this podcast. To find out more about this amazing talent, go to  www.carlapatullo.comSupport the show (https://paypal.me/missionranchfilms?locale.x=en_US)

Robert J. Morgan is a prolific author and gifted storyteller who has served as a pastor in Nashville for forty years. He's written more than two dozen bestselling and award-winning books, including the seasonal favorite “12 Stories of Christmas,” and his books have more than 5 million copies in print. In this special Christmas episode of The Story Blender, Robert shares some of his secrets to storytelling and also tells one of his most beloved Christmas stories, “Gabriel's Cry.” 

Bestselling novelist Steven James discusses the difference between action and tension, how twists do (and don't) work, the reader's desire to be both surprised and satisfied, and the importance of being alert to the messages your story is trying to send you. Steven James is a national bestselling novelist whose award-winning thrillers continue to gain wide critical acclaim and a growing fan base. His latest novel is SYNAPSE, a near-future thriller. Suspense Magazine named his book EVERY WICKED MAN one of their “Best Books of 2018.” Publishers Weekly calls him a “master storyteller at the peak of his game” and, in fact, Steven has a Master's Degree in Storytelling. He has taught writing and storytelling on four continents over the past two decades, and spoken more than two thousand times at events spanning the globe. Steven's groundbreaking books on the art of fiction writing, STORY TRUMPS STRUCTURE and TROUBLESHOOTING YOUR NOVEL, have both won Storytelling World Awards. In his podcast “The Story Blender,” he interviews leading storytellers in film, print, and web When Steven isn't writing or speaking, you'll find him trail running, rock climbing, or drinking dark roast coffee near his home in East Tennessee.

John Raab is a publishing industry professional and podcast producer who is also the founder of Suspense Magazine and the CEO of Suspense Publishing. If you like thrillers, suspense, mystery, or horror, be sure to check out these resources. John was also the impetus to me starting The Story Blender, so it's exciting for me to have him on the show today. 

From the Story Vault: Steve Berry is the New York Times and international bestselling author of more than a dozen novels and our first returning guest on The Story Blender. He weaves history, mystery, an intrigue together to create compelling stories. Listen in to hear his take on storytelling and to hear him discuss his latest novel, The Malta Exchange!

Jean Kwok is an international bestselling author whose debut novel, Girl in Translation, won numerous awards and was featured in USA Today, the New York Times, and Vogue. Jean's work has been published in eighteen countries and taught in universities, colleges, and high schools across the world. Her latest novel, Searching for Sylvie Lee, has been called “poignant and propulsive” and was released on June 4th.

Tony Marr is an award-winning speaker and storyteller who has spent years captivating audiences with his larger-than-life tales. From unbelievable adventures that will leave you wondering how he's still alive to the untold stories of American past and scripture, Tony immerses his audiences in an imaginative world you will never want to leave. Steven James is the author of the Bowers Files. His book "The Bishop" was named the book of the year by Suspense Magazine. For more information visit stevenjames.net and for more information on the show visit the storyblender.com

Liv Constantine "The Last Time I Saw You": The internationally bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish follows that success with an addictive novel filled with shocking twists about the aftermath of a brutal high-society murder. Dr. Kate English has it all. Not only is she the heiress to a large fortune; she has a gorgeous husband and daughter, a high-flying career, and a beautiful home anyone would envy. But all that changes the night Kate's mother, Lily, is found dead, brutally murdered in her own home. Heartbroken and distraught, Kate reaches out to her estranged best friend, Blaire Barrington, who rushes to her side for the funeral, where the years of distance between them are forgotten in a moment. That evening, Kate's grief turns to horror when she receives an anonymous text: You think you're sad now, just wait. By the time I'm finished with you, you'll wish you had been buried today. More than ever, Kate needs her old friend's help. Once Blaire decides to take the investigation into her own hands, it becomes clear that all is not as it seems in Baltimore high society. As infidelity, lies, and betrayals come to light, and tensions rise to a boiling point, she begins to alienate Kate's friends and relatives with her relentless, accusatory questions, as she tries to find Lily's killer. The murderer could be anyone—friend, neighbor, loved one. But whoever it is, it's clear that Kate is next on their list. . . In The Last Time I Saw You, Liv Constantine takes the lightning pace of The Last Mrs. Parrish and raises the stakes, creating an exquisitely tension-filled and absorbing tale of psychological suspense in which innocent lives—and one woman's sanity—hang in the balance.

A self-described "full-time daydreamer who moonlights as a storyteller," Ed Stivender has been dubbed "the Robin Williams of storytelling" by the Miami Herald and "the Catholic Garrison Keillor" by Kirkus Reviews. Join us as he shares a delightful mixture of whimsy, wit, and wisdom on the art of storytelling. All shows are brought to you by Suspense Magazine, please visit www.suspensemagazine.com for more information. To get in touch with any of the hosts on the show, you can email radio@suspensemagazine.com Steven James official website is www.stevenjames.net Look for his latest release and pick up the "Bowers Files".

Meg Gardiner: Edgar Award-winning novelist Meg Gardiner writes fast-paced thrillers full of twists and turns that keep readers guessing until the very end. Her bestselling books have been called "Hitchcockian" USA Today and been translated into more than 20 languages. Listen in as she shares secrets to twist creation and story craft. "Into The Black Nowhere, an UNSUB novel:" In this exhilarating thriller inspired by real-life serial killer Ted Bundy, FBI profiler Caitlin Hendrix faces off against a charming, merciless serial killer. In southern Texas, on Saturday nights, women are disappearing. One vanishes from a movie theater. Another, from her car at a stoplight. A mother is ripped from her home while checking on her baby. Rookie FBI agent Caitlin Hendrix, newly assigned to the FBI's elite Behavioral Analysis Unit, fears that a serial killer is roaming the dark roads outside Austin.

Karin Slaughter - international bestselling novelist Acclaimed author Karin Slaughter is published in 120 countries and has sold more than 35 million books. Listen in to catch hold of her passion for sharing empowering and honest stories of women as she discusses PIECES OF HER, her eighteenth novel. Author A.E. Schwartz joins us as a special guest host! "Pieces of Her": Andrea knows everything about her mother, Laura. She knows she's spent her whole life in the small beachside town of Belle Isle; she knows she's never wanted anything more than to live a quiet life as a pillar of the community; she knows she's never kept a secret in her life. Because we all know our mothers, don't we? But all that changes when a trip to the mall explodes into violence and Andrea suddenly sees a completely different side to Laura. Because it turns out that before Laura was Laura, she was someone completely different. For nearly thirty years she's been hiding from her previous identity, lying low in the hope that no one would ever find her. But now she's been exposed, and nothing will ever be the same again. The police want answers and Laura's innocence is on the line, but she won't speak to anyone, including her own daughter. Andrea is on a desperate journey following the breadcrumb trail of her mother's past. And if she can't uncover the secrets hidden there, there may be no future for either one of them. . . .

KJ Howe "Skyjack": "ACTION-PACKED THRILL RIDE." --KARIN SLAUGHTER "SENSATIONAL." --LEE CHILD "HIGH STAKES, UP-TO-THE-MINUTE REALISM, AND NONSTOP ACTION." --KAREN DIONNE In the follow-up to her exhilarating debut, The Freedom Broker, K.J. Howe delivers a "riveting" and "rip-roaring" thriller perfect for fans of Sandra Brown and Lisa Gardner. International kidnap expert Thea Paris is escorting two former child soldiers on a plane from an orphanage in Kanzi, Africa, to adoptive parents in London when the Boeing Business Jet is hijacked and forced to make an emergency landing in the remote Libyan desert. When the dust settles on a tense negotiation, Thea finds herself at the beck and call of a ruthless criminal who will stop at nothing to crush his rivals, even if it means forcing her to break international law. Revealing a deadly conspiracy that connects the dark postwar legacy of World War II to the present, this case will bring all parties to an explosive conclusion that will decide the fate of millions across Europe and the Middle East.

C. C. Humphreys, international bestselling author As a multi-talented actor and novelist, C. C. gives a unique perspective on developing characters for fiction and presenting stories orally, even for those who aren't trained in acting. Listen in as he talks through what led him to write his latest novel, Chasing the Wind. "Chasing the Wind": You should never fall in love with a flyer. You should only be in love with flight. That's the rule that Roxy Loewen – aviatrix, and protégé of the great Amelia Earhart – always lives by. Until she falls hard for fellow pilot Jocco Zomack and he leads her into a whole heap of trouble. From African skies to a hot cellar in Madrid, from the Berlin Olympics to the last flight of the Hindenburg, from gun running to the heist of the century, Roxy is just one step ahead of the Nazis – and one loop-de-loop from disaster. "A barrel-rolling barn-burner of a book! Roxy's got a tender heart with a steel jacket, and the skill and courage to bring her in on a wing and a prayer. A good thing, because this girl doesn't pack a parachute." —Diana Gabaldon

Peter James, International bestelling novelist One of the world's premiere crime writers shares stories and advice, as we talk psychopaths (both fictional and real), what makes for a great crime story, and the three aspects of emotionally engaging fiction: character, research and plot. Also: learn about his writing process and get inside info about upcoming releases. Peter James "Dead if you Don't": A PARENT'S WORST NIGHTMARE IS GRACE'S DEADLIEST CASE . . . Roy Grace, creation of the CWA Diamond Dagger award winning author Peter James, faces his most complex case yet in Dead If You Don't. Kipp Brown, successful businessman and compulsive gambler, is having the worst run of luck of his life. He's beginning to lose, big style. However, taking his teenage son, Mungo, to their club's Saturday afternoon football match should have given him a welcome respite, if only for a few hours. But it's at the stadium where his nightmare begins. Within minutes of arriving at the game, Kipp bumps into a client. He takes his eye off Mungo for a few moments, and in that time, the boy disappears. Then he gets the terrifying message that someone has his child, and to get him back alive, Kipp will have to pay. Defying instruction not to contact the police, Kipp reluctantly does just that, and Detective Superintendent Roy Grace is brought in to investigate. At first it seems a straightforward case of kidnap. But rapidly Grace finds himself entering a dark, criminal underbelly of the city, where the rules are different and nothing is what it seems . .

Nicolas Obregon, crime novelist Travel writer turned novelist Nicolas Obregon read hundreds of crime novels to research the genre before penning his stunning debut novel BLUE LIGHT YOKOHAMA. His insights are invaluable for storytellers of all bents, and especially for anyone thinking of writing a novel. Visit www.thestoryblender.com for more information on all the shows. Also please know that all shows are brought to you by Suspense Magazine and Suspense Publishing, please visit www.suspensemagazine.com for more information. You can email the show at radio@suspensemagaizne.com

Andrew Mayne - TV Personality, Illusionist, and bestselling author Andrew was the star of A&E's magic reality show Don't Trust Andrew Mayne. As one of the most innovative illusionists in the country and a critically acclaimed novelist, his passion is tollways entertain audiences and readers. Andrew gives insights into his writing process including how to write a novella in 24 hours. All shows are brought to you by Suspense Magazine. Check out www.suspensemagazine.com. Also check out www.thestoryblender.com. If you want to email the show to contact any guest, etc: radio@suspensemagazine.com. Subscribe on ITunes.

Guest: Carolyn Wheat - award-winning mystery writer Bio: As a writing instructor and author, Carolyn brings a unique perspective to understanding and crafting crime novels. She shares her unique insights and explains the difference between mystery and suspense in this in-depth interview. All shows are brought to you by Suspense Magazine / Suspense Publishing. Check out www.suspensemagazine.com for more information on everything we have going on. Also if you would like to contact or have any questions for guests or the hosts, simply email radio@suspensemagazine.com

Guest: Paul Leyden, actor, director, and screenwriter Bio: Listen in to a lively conversation with the multi-talented writer and director of the twisty indie horror flick COME BACK TO ME. Paul unpacks his writing process and offers advice for those hoping to break into the industry. Host Steven James: bestselling author of the Bowers Files. To find out everything about Steven, visit www.stevenjames.net. For the Story Blender, visit www.thestoryblender.com All shows are brought to you by Suspense Magazine: www.suspensemagazine.com email radio@suspensemagazine.com to talk to any of the guests.

Guest: McNair Wilson Bio: As an actor, author, and former Disney Imagineer who came up with the idea for the Tower of Terror, McNair has spoken on creativity and performed in 33 countries. His insights into imagination will inspire you, whatever project you might be working on. Listen in and be inspired. Host Steven James: Steven James is a national bestselling novelist whose award-winning, pulse-pounding thrillers continue to gain wide critical acclaim and a growing fan base. Suspense Magazine, who named Steven's book THE BISHOP their Book of the Year, says that he "sets the new standard in suspense writing." Publishers Weekly calls him a "master storyteller at the peak of his game." And RT Book Reviews promises, "the nail-biting suspense will rivet you." Equipped with a unique Master's Degree in Storytelling, Steven has taught writing and storytelling on four continents over the past two decades, speaking more than two thousand times at events spanning the globe. In his podcast "The Story Blender," he interviews leading storytellers in film, print, and web. Listen now to any of the dozens of archived podcasts for free by visiting his website www.thestoryblender.com.

Guest: Tony Marr Tony Marr, Professional Storyteller Listen in as award-winning story spinner Tony Marr talks the craft of shaping powerful messages and presentations including how to use humor and step into the shoes of those you tell stories about, even someone as polarizing as Judas Iscariot. Host Steven James: Steven James is a national bestselling novelist whose award-winning, pulse-pounding thrillers continue to gain wide critical acclaim and a growing fan base. Suspense Magazine, who named Steven's book THE BISHOP their Book of the Year, says that he "sets the new standard in suspense writing." Publishers Weekly calls him a "master storyteller at the peak of his game." And RT Book Reviews promises, "the nail-biting suspense will rivet you." Equipped with a unique Master's Degree in Storytelling, Steven has taught writing and storytelling on four continents over the past two decades, speaking more than two thousand times at events spanning the globe. In his podcast "The Story Blender," he interviews leading storytellers in film, print, and web. Listen now to any of the dozens of archived podcasts for free by visiting his website www.thestoryblender.com.

Guest: Steve La Rue Steve LaRue, veteran Hollywood executive Steve has worked at Paramount, NBC/Universal and 20th Century Fox where he championed such series as Battlestar Galactica, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The X-Files, The Simpsons, King of the Hill, Ally McBeal, and Farscape. He gives invaluable insights on pitches, passion, and how to break into the industry. Host Steven James: Steven James is a national bestselling novelist whose award-winning, pulse-pounding thrillers continue to gain wide critical acclaim and a growing fan base. Suspense Magazine, who named Steven's book THE BISHOP their Book of the Year, says that he "sets the new standard in suspense writing." Publishers Weekly calls him a "master storyteller at the peak of his game." And RT Book Reviews promises, "the nail-biting suspense will rivet you." Equipped with a unique Master's Degree in Storytelling, Steven has taught writing and storytelling on four continents over the past two decades, speaking more than two thousand times at events spanning the globe. In his podcast "The Story Blender," he interviews leading storytellers in film, print, and web. Listen now to any of the dozens of archived podcasts for free by visiting his website www.thestoryblender.com.

Guest: Michael Hauge Michael Hauge, Hollywood script consultant and story guru Since 1985 Michael has been one of the top coaches and story experts in Hollywood. He has consulted on projects starring (among many others) Will Smith, Morgan Freeman, Julia Roberts, Tom Cruise and Reese Witherspoon. Special deal: listeners of the show can click to www.storymastery.com/6stagechart for a free copy of Michael's guide to the 6 stages of a Hollywood blockbuster story! Host Steven James: Steven James is a national bestselling novelist whose award-winning, pulse-pounding thrillers continue to gain wide critical acclaim and a growing fan base. Suspense Magazine, who named Steven's book THE BISHOP their Book of the Year, says that he "sets the new standard in suspense writing." Publishers Weekly calls him a "master storyteller at the peak of his game." And RT Book Reviews promises, "the nail-biting suspense will rivet you."

Katia Lief, International bestselling author Join us as Katia shares her thoughts on story craft and idea germination as she discusses her latest thriller, A Map of the Dark, which she wrote under the pen name Karen Ellis. Learn techniques to improve your novel or short story, no matter what stage you're in. Steven James: Steven James is a national bestselling novelist whose award-winning, pulse-pounding thrillers continue to gain wide critical acclaim and a growing fan base. Suspense Magazine, who named Steven's book THE BISHOP their Book of the Year, says that he "sets the new standard in suspense writing." Publishers Weekly calls him a "master storyteller at the peak of his game." And RT Book Reviews promises, "the nail-biting suspense will rivet you." Equipped with a unique Master's Degree in Storytelling, Steven has taught writing and storytelling on four continents over the past two decades, speaking more than two thousand times at events spanning the globe. In his podcast "The Story Blender," he interviews leading storytellers in film, print, and web. Listen now to any of the dozens of archived podcasts for free by visiting his website www.thestoryblender.com.

Guest: Carter Wilson Carter Wilson, USA Today bestselling novelist Nationally acclaimed author Carter Wilson takes us deep into the world of suspense as he discusses his latest chiller Mister Tender's Girl, inspired by the Slender Man attacks. You'll also learn tips on telling bedtime stories to your children from a premier storyteller. Host Steven James: Steven James is a national bestselling novelist whose award-winning, pulse-pounding thrillers continue to gain wide critical acclaim and a growing fan base. Suspense Magazine, who named Steven's book THE BISHOP their Book of the Year, says that he "sets the new standard in suspense writing." Publishers Weekly calls him a "master storyteller at the peak of his game." And RT Book Reviews promises, "the nail-biting suspense will rivet you."

John Lescroart: "Poison": "Lescroart never ceases to amaze his fans. The wit, the timing, the dialogue—everything combines to give this author yet another bestseller and provide readers with a fast-paced, memorable thriller." —Suspense Magazine "The narrative flows effortlessly and includes a Perry Mason–worthy moment when Hardy manifests a bit of courtroom magic. Lescroart is a perfect choice for readers who enjoy great ensemble casts." —Booklist In John Lescroart's latest thriller, San Francisco attorney Dismas Hardy is called upon to investigate the murder of a wealthy man whose heirs are all potential suspects. Dismas Hardy is looking forward to easing into retirement and reconnecting with his family after recovering from two glancing gunshot wounds courtesy of a recent client. But this plan is cut short when, against his wife's wishes, he is pulled back into the courtroom by the murder of Grant Wagner, the steely owner of a successful family business. The prime suspect is Wagner's bookkeeper, Abby Jarvis, a former client of Hardy's who had been receiving large sums of cash under-the-table from the company—but she insists that she's innocent and Dismas wants to believe her. As he prepares for trial, Dismas probes deeply into the Wagner clan's history, discovering dark secrets, jealous siblings, gold-digging girlfriends, startling betrayals, and menacing blackmailers. Suspense builds as the trial date looms, and the closer Dismas gets to the Wagners, the clearer it becomes that he has a large target painted on his back. With John Lescroart's razor-sharp dialogue, intricate plotting and relentless pacing, Poison is a nail-biter that will keep you guessing until the very last page.

Mark Greaney, #1 NYT bestselling author As one of the top action and military thriller writers in the country and co-author of three novels with legendary novelist Tom Clancy, Mark shares his insights on writing killer fight scenes, researching international thrillers, and climbing into the mind of an assassin. "Gunmetal Grey"; Mark Greaney, the #1 New York Times bestselling coauthor of Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan novels, delivers another breakneck thriller following the world's deadliest assassin—the Gray Man… After five years on the run Court Gentry is back on the inside at the CIA. But his first mission makes him wish he had stayed on the outs when a pair of Chinese agents try to take him down in Hong Kong. Normally the Chinese prefer to stay eyes-only on foreign agents. So why are they on such high alert? Court's high stakes hunt for answers takes him across Southeast Asia and leads to his old friend, Donald Fitzroy, who is being held hostage by the Chinese. Fitzroy was contracted to find Fan Jiang, a former member of an ultra-secret computer warfare unit responsible for testing China's own security systems. And it seems Fan may have been too good at his job—because China wants him dead. The first two kill teams Fitzroy sent to find Fan have disappeared and the Chinese have decided to "supervise" the next operation. What they don't know is that Gentry's mission is to find Fan first and get whatever intel he has to the US. After that, all he has to do is get out alive...

E. Lockhart is the author of the New York Times bestseller We Were Liars, discusses her latest novel Genuine Fraud, a story told backward. Get the inside scoop on how she crafted this unique story. Host Steven James: www.stevenjames.net www.thestoryblender.com Steven James is a national bestselling novelist whose award-winning, pulse-pounding thrillers continue to gain wide critical acclaim and a growing fan base. Suspense Magazine, who named Steven's book THE BISHOP their Book of the Year, says that he "sets the new standard in suspense writing." Publishers Weekly calls him a "master storyteller at the peak of his game." And RT Book Reviews promises, "the nail-biting suspense will rivet you." Equipped with a unique Master's Degree in Storytelling, Steven has taught writing and storytelling on four continents over the past two decades, speaking more than two thousand times at events spanning the globe. In his podcast "The Story Blender," he interviews leading storytellers in film, print, and web.

Simon Toyne - International Bestselling Author Former TV executive and international bestselling novelist Simon Toyne talks through what he learned in the film industry and how anyone can shape better stories by applying those lessons. Host Steven James: Steven James is a national bestselling novelist whose award-winning, pulse-pounding thrillers continue to gain wide critical acclaim and a growing fan base. Suspense Magazine, who named Steven's book THE BISHOP their Book of the Year, says that he "sets the new standard in suspense writing." Publishers Weekly calls him a "master storyteller at the peak of his game." And RT Book Reviews promises, "the nail-biting suspense will rivet you." Equipped with a unique Master's Degree in Storytelling, Steven has taught writing and storytelling on four continents over the past two decades, speaking more than two thousand times at events spanning the globe. In his podcast "The Story Blender," he interviews leading storytellers in film, print, and web. Listen now to any of the dozens of archived podcasts for free by visiting his website www.thestoryblender.com.